In the bakery industry, two existing methods are used for the production and baking of raw dough in on-site bakeries or retail outlets.
The first method uses dough pieces which are quickly snap frozen into their frozen shape at a production facility. The frozen dough pieces are transported from the production facility to the retail outlet where they are stored in freezers. When required the frozen dough pieces are thawed. As the dough is already in the shape of the finished product, the thawed dough pieces are placed on baking utensils such as trays for proofing. Once the dough product has doubled in bulk, they are baked to provide the finished product.
This process has a number of advantages and disadvantages. One advantage of this method is that a large variety of low volume product can be produced daily. As the dough is already shaped, a low level of skill is required on the part of the operator and compared with other bakery processes, a smaller floor area is required which is easier to manage and keep clean. As such product is generally sold at smaller retail outlets, there is a synergy with other frozen products which are brought in and baked, such as pastry, pies and cake.
A disadvantage of this method is that the frozen dough pieces are in the shape of the finished product and therefore often bulky to transport. Furthermore the frozen dough pieces must be transported in refrigerated transports increasing the overall costs of the product.
With frozen dough it is essential that the thawing process is accurately controlled and completed if a consistent quality product is to be produced. If a number of different products are required then a number of different types of frozen dough need to be thawed. The shape, thickness, density and type of dough will vary depending on the type of product being produced, which will also determine the different timing and thawing conditions required. Thus if numerous products are to be produced, scheduling of the thawing process and the number of thawers becomes a limiting constraint. Furthermore in order for the thawed dough pieces to prove and rise, it is essential that the yeast culture is protected from the freezing process. This generally requires addition of preservative ingredients to the dough thereby increasing the costs of each frozen item. A further disadvantage is that the frozen item needs to be removed by hand from individual boxes in the freezer to be placed in receptacles in the thawer which is often a time consuming and uncomfortable process for the operator.
The second method of producing a wide range of bread and bun products for on-site bakeries and retail outlets involves mechanically making the product on-site. This requires the flour or pre-blended dried ingredients to be mixed, separated, weighed, rested, and finally moulded into the shape of the finished product. The shaped dough then goes through the same proof and baking process as thawed frozen dough. This method has a number of advantages including a lower cost per item, a better quality product with a better quality appearance. This process has the further benefit of being more versatile as the products are not restricted to those frozen items which come out of a box. Furthermore as a thawing process is not required, less time is required to go from the shaped dough product to the baked product.
The versatility and advantages of this process are generally weighed against the disadvantages of requiring more floor space and greater preparation time to produce the shaped dough. Furthermore a different dough must be made for each product type which takes time and is uneconomic in smaller volumes. Furthermore more skill is required on the part of the operator to produce quality products and as with a larger scale operation, the capital outlay on machinery is high and hygiene issues often arise.
Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide a bakery process and apparatus for conducting the bakery process which overcomes at least some of the disadvantages of the earlier methods.